Photonic-integrated circuits for WDM transmission and networking

Uziel Koren

doi:10.1117/12.298256

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22 December 1997 Photonic integrated circuits for WDM transmission and networking

Uziel Koren

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Proceedings Volume 3290, Optoelectronic Integrated Circuits II; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.298256
Event: Optoelectronics and High-Power Lasers and Applications, 1998, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

Photonic integrated circuits are devices that integrate active photonic elements such as lasers or semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) with passive waveguides made on a single III-V semiconductor substrate. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) have been used for making several experimental elements which may be useful for WDM systems, such as WDM source lasers as well as optical switches, amplifier arrays and interferometric wavelength converters. Several schemes have been suggested for fabrication of photonic integrated circuits on InP substrates. These fabrication techniques must produce high quality active-passive transitions, and low loss passive waveguides which can generate various passive optical elements such as y-branches, directional couplers, multimode interference (MMI) couplers, and free space splitters- combiners. In this talk we describe processes such as PPro-3 that have been developed for this purpose. This process is based on a new laser configuration that is suitable for photonic integration. The PPro-3 laser has a buried rib waveguide and does not require the deep mesa etch (2 - 3.5 micron) which is typically used with the conventional SIPBH laser configuration. The new process is especially suitable for laser or amplifier arrays. Although the high power-high temperature performance of the SIPBH type lasers are superior, these are not the crucial requirements for temperature controlled laser array sources. There are, however, several advantages that stem from the simplification, better transition, better wavelength control and better planarity of the new PIC process, leading to improved yields and uniformity in array devices.

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Uziel Koren "Photonic integrated circuits for WDM transmission and networking", Proc. SPIE 3290, Optoelectronic Integrated Circuits II, (22 December 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.298256

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